Aliyah AU
by footballandrugbyislife22
Summary: What if Gibbs chose Ziva instead of Tony? What if Tony had been left in Israel as an NCIS liaison to Mossad? This is my take on what would happen. Tiva.
1. Prologue

The only thing Ziva could feel was anger, hurt, and betrayal. Eli had truly used her by sending Michael Rivkin to pose as her lover, and she fell for it. And she knew how she had let her guard down so easily.

It all started in Israel after being separated from the team at NCIS by Vance. At first she was so distraught, she had taken advantage of her time at NCIS, her time with Tony. But Michael healed the pain of separation, or at least covered the scars. It was easy to have a relationship with him: They were both Mossad officers who saw life with similar views, they were both Jewish, it was just easy. Sure, he wasn't Tony, a man she may have truly loved after she watched his car explode on the feed in MTAC.

When she returned to NCIS, she decided to continue her relationship with Michael since her heart simply couldn't bear the pain of loving someone, but not knowing how they felt. And truthfully, Ziva could have seen herself having something deeper with Michael, and though the feelings weren't as strong or passionate as the ones she had for Tony, it would have been enough to start a life, a family with.

So it was only natural for her to protect Michael, even when in the back of her mind she wasn't doing the right thing, she was betraying the team's trust. As soon as she heard about the ICE agent dying, she knew in the back of her mind that Michael was somehow involved, even if she told herself that he had nothing to do with it.

Then they later discovered the dead body of Abin Tabal, the leader of a terrorist cell Michael had been vigorously killing off in Los Angeles. Through Ducky's autopsy, it had been concluded that he committed suicide through suicide pill, but even her gut told her that something was off about his death, that it had been murder, but she chose to ignore it in fear of where the trail would lead to, or whom it would lead to.

When she burst through the door to apartment and saw Michael with four gunshot wounds in his chest, and Tony pointing a gun at her in defense, she nearly lost it. The betrayal and anger she felt was unlike she had ever known, for what it appeared to her was that Tony got jealous and tried to kill Michael.

Of course, Ducky's autopsy report paired with Tony's after-action report pretty much concluded that Tony was telling the truth that he killed Michael in self-defense, and he was trying to arrest Michael. Still, the pain in her heart from Michael's death made her thought process illogical, biased, unclear. One thing led to another, and now she found herself in a staring match with Tony outside of Mossad Headquarters.

"I had no choice." Tony said, causing anger to flare in Ziva's veins.

"That's a lie." Ziva said, seriously considering going over and punching him square in the jaw.

"Why would I lie to you, Ziva?" Tony asked, anger of his own starting to boil inside.

"To save your worthless ass!" Ziva replied immediately, the two of them starting to approach each other whilst continuing the conversation. Tony curled his hand in a tight ball as he continued to walk towards Ziva.

"From who, Vance? Mossad?" Tony asked in disbelief. They were now mere inches away from each other, the anger and tension between them skyrocketing.

"You jeopardized your entire career, and for what!?" Ziva asked, the level of her voice steadily rising. Tony paused a moment before answering.

"For you. He was playing you, Ziva." Tony responded honestly.

"And for some reason you felt it was your **job**, to protect **me**?" Ziva asked angrily.

"I did what I had to do." Tony stated, causing Ziva's anger to flare even higher.

"You killed him!" Ziva growled.

"If I hadn't you'd be having this conversation with him, but maybe that's the way you'd prefer it?" Tony asked, tilting his head to the side to make it clear it truly was a question that demanded an answer. For a briefest of moments Ziva considered the possibility, and panic boiled inside of her. No, she would never want that in a million years. Michael's death saddened her, but if Tony had died, she would be a broken woman. Ziva internally berated herself for even having those thoughts as she grew frustrated with herself, and anger took over her response.

"Perhaps I would!" Ziva lied, unaware of the brief flash of pain that broke across his face. Tony felt as if his heart had been ripped from his chest and stomped on. Tony nearly fell to the ground in shock and disbelief as the words processed through his mind. Unshed tears burned the backs of his eyes as he felt the most pain he had ever felt in his life. The middle of his chest screamed in emotional agony, his knees slightly wobbly.

All the years they've been coworkers, all the laughs they've had, all the things they've told each other, suddenly meant nothing to Ziva. Yes, Tony wanted Michael out of Ziva's life partly out of jealously, but it was more than simple and childish jealously. Tony could see clearly that Michael was on edge, he was drinking too much, and with the amount of killing he had been doing recently, he was unstable and dangerous to be around, especially for Ziva.

Mossad was not allowed to operate on US soil, so Tony's instincts told him that he was a rogue officer. Tony did what he did because he was extremely concerned about Ziva. But after the supposed suicide of Abin Tabal, and the fact that his computer was completely wiped and useless, something clicked inside of Tony, telling him that Michael wasn't rogue at all, that he was working under the orders of Eli David, that he was under orders to have a relationship with Ziva.

To think that someone could play and toy with Ziva's heart angered Tony, and he came to the decision that Michael needed to leave Ziva's life. It all connected for Tony, and he knew for certain that Michael had killed the ICE agent and force-fed Abin Tabal the suicide pill.

And to think that with all the love and care he had for Ziva, that she had told him almost instantly that she would have preferred that Tony die instead of Michael, it truly broke his heart. Anger clouded his vision as he looked for a response to such a loaded response.

"Ok, why don't you just get this out. You wanna take a punch, take a swing? Get it out of your system, go ahead, do it!" Tony shouted at Ziva. Ziva stared at Tony with a deadly glare, but in all honesty, she would never want to harm Tony, but the comment alone raised her anger to another level.

"Be careful, Tony. Because much like Michael I only need one." Ziva stated coldly, trying to refrain herself from doing anything stupid. Tony smirked in bitter triumph as he realized what Ziva was angry about.

"And that's what you're really angry about isn't it? That's what's bothering you. It's not that he's dead, It's that your Mossad boyfriend got his ass kicked by a chump like me?" Tony said more as a statement than a question, the entire situation becoming clearer.

"You took advantage of him!" Ziva growled, barely maintaining her anger.

"He attacked me, what was I suppo!-" Tony shouted, but was cut off by Ziva kicking his leg out from under him and forcefully throwing him to the concrete and re-fracturing his arm.

"You saw a glass table, you pushed back, you dropped him on it! He was impaled in the side by a shard of glass. Bloody! Gasping for air!" Ziva shouted.

"I guess you read my report." Tony stated, wincing slightly.

"I memorized it! You could have left it at that, you could have walked away but NO! You let him up! You put four in his chest!" Ziva screamed, pulling her sidearm out and pressing it against Tony's chest, seriously considering putting a round in him.

"You weren't there." Tony stated, anger turning into sadness.

"You could have put one in his leg!" Ziva shouted, pressing the gun to his left leg for emphasis.

"You. Weren't. There." Tony stated.

"But I should have been!" Ziva screamed, anger coating her every word. That's when a bitter realization hit Tony, and he fell into an entirely new level of depression.

"You loved him." Tony stated bitterly. Ziva paused as she considered Tony's statement. Ziva didn't love Michael, he had strong feelings for him, but it was Tony that she loved. But she would never admit that.

As Ziva was about to tell Tony that perhaps she did, she saw something in Tony's eyes that she couldn't read at all. Then something clicked, and she wondered what Tony meant when he said that risked his career for her.

"Why did you really risk your career." Ziva asked, the anger not quite dissipating yet. Tony took on a look of shock, but decided that it would be easier for the both of them if the truth came out.

"Because I love you." Tony stated. Ziva was stunned as the smallest gleam of hope twinged in her heart. But it was quickly masked by the anger she was feeling. Ziva stood up and kicked Tony in the side, drawing a sharp intake of pain from him.

"You don't deserve my love." Ziva said through clenched teeth then walked away, leaving a heart-broken and depressed Tony lying on the ground, tears flowing freely onto the concrete.

NCIS

Ziva approached Gibbs as they began to load back onto the transport that would take them back to NCIS. Tony was seriously lagging behind as he slowly limped to the transport, life completely losing meaning for him.

"I cannot work with him." Ziva stated simply. Gibbs sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. Gibbs noticed Eli smiling in victory from behind an SUV, and he knew right then that if she let Ziva go back to Eli, she would be in serious danger. Still, it hurt that two of his agents he considered his children would not be able to work together, and he was being forced to pick one, and Ziva was the one that needed his support, even if it destroyed Tony.

"I'll talk to Vance about Tony's position on the team." Gibbs said. Ziva gave a grateful but sad smile as she gently hugged Gibbs.

"Thank you." Ziva replied before loading onto the transport, Gibbs close behind and Tony still far behind. Ziva immediately plopped down into the furthest seat and fell asleep, the events of the day catching up with her. Gibbs sighed as he approached Vance.

"Ziva can't work with Tony anymore. With Ziva's best interests in mind, I think it would be best if Tony were transferred out of DC." Gibbs said, his heart breaking with every word. He was banishing the man he considered his own son from his home. Vance nodded as he considered which positions he could take. A grim realization hit him: There was only one position he could take since literally every other spot was taken. He had to become an NCIS liaison to Mossad.

"Are you sure about this, Gibbs?" Vance asked, finding himself in a tough position. Gibbs nodded grimly before leaving to take a seat on the transport, wondering if at least some friendship could be salvaged after all was said and done. Vance sighed as he walked off the transport to meet Tony who was slowly approaching the transport.

"It has been decided by Gibbs and I that with Agent David's best interests in mind, you be transferred out of DC." Vance stated, already mourning the loss of such a good agent. Even Vance felt Tony's sadness as his face took a look of pure shock and depression. _Shit, I barely know the man and I already feel sorry for him._

Tony couldn't even speak as he felt his breath leave him. _I'm being sent away from DC, the place I've grown to love and consider home. But it has to be done, it has to be done for Ziva._

"I understand, Director." Tony replied grimly before starting off for the transport. Vance placed his hand on Tony's shoulder, causing him to turn around slowly with a questioning look. Vance couldn't even look Tony in the eye, his own heart unable to take the sadness in Tony's eyes that was bound to grow after he told him his new position.

"I'm sorry, Tony. The only other position available that would be out of DC is...NCIS liaison to Mossad." Vance said. Tony's eyes sprang with tears as he felt his legs buckle slightly. _I'm being banished...from my own country._

"I understand, Director." Tony said. Vance nodded slightly as he turned to leave, but Tony stopped him. For a moment, Vance feared that he would get a punch delivered to his face, but realized that it wasn't anger Tony was feeling. Tony had the look of a broken man on his face.

"Make sure Ziva is safe at NCIS. Do everything in your power to keep her safe. She's hurting right now, and she needs time to heal. Do your absolute best to make sure that she's ok. Promise me this." Tony stated, determination thick in his voice. Vance only needed to take one look at Tony to know that this was not debatable.

"I will." Vance assured him before getting back on the transport.

"We're good to go!" Vance shouted at the man working the doors. He nodded before pressing the button that would seal the doors. Gibbs looked up to see Tony standing outside of the transport, staring at the plane.

"WAIT! TONY!" Gibbs shouted at Vance.

"As of now, he is an NCIS liasion to Mossad. I'm sorry Gibbs." Vance said as the doors shut and the plane started to take off. Gibbs shoved Vance out of the way to reach the man working the controls to the doors.

"OPEN THESE DAMN DOORS NOW!" Gibbs shouted at the man in desperation. The man shook his head as he took a seat.

"The plane has already begun liftoff. The doors are locked, and they're not going to open until we get back to DC." he said. Gibbs felt as if his breath had been stolen as he collapsed into one of the seats, his mouth agape in shock. _He's going to get killed at Mossad. What have I done?_

Tony stared at the C-130 as it took off and flew out into the sky, headed for DC. Tony slowly turned around and locked eyes with Eli David, who smug look on his face. Tony slowly limped over to Eli, who had an evil smirk on his face.

"Director Vance has just assigned me as your NCIS liaison." Tony said grimly. Eli smiled as he offered Tony his hand, much to his dismay.

"Well now that you are one of my people, I should welcome you with open arms! Welcome to Tel Aviv, Israel, NCIS Liasion Agent DiNozzo. Come, we have much to discuss." Eli said as he hopped into the back of the SUV. Tony slowly got into the SUV, which drove off to Mossad Headquarters. _What the hell is going on here?_

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**No! Tony got left in Israel! And what's up with Eli?**

**Favorites and REVIEWS are appreciated as always, and if you review, I would really like to know what you think of my story so far. Is it good, is it bad? Would you be interested in more?**


	2. Damocles

**WHOOO! Ilan is DEAD! Kinda expected him to die in the last episode but hey, works for me! Now we get to see who's future at the agency is threatened :0.**

**And OH MY GOD THAT PROMO! Some DOD inspector guy interrogating Ziva if she slept with someone...probably asking about DiNozzo, I don't know I mean who else could it be? And I bet the inspector is going after...DiNozzo!**

**Anyways, don't forget to favorite and REVIEW! The reviews really do help me get my stories updated quicker since they give me a lot more motivation to please you guys! I really do read all of them and appreciate your opinions!**

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The car ride for Tony was a complete blur, filled with conversation in Hebrew between the infamous Eli David, the driver, Malachi Ben-Gidon, and the bodyguard sitting in the front with Malachi, Liat Tuvia. Life was a black and white picture, everything was bleak and empty. Tony felt an unbelievable pain in his chest that began to spread everywhere, his fractured arm paling in comparison to the pain. Tony simply stared out the window and watched the cars pass by, depression quickly taking him over. He was on edge, and he was close to falling off.

He had been left behind in Tel Aviv, where he must have had hundreds of enemies in Mossad, one of which being Eli David. Betrayed by a man he considered his own father. Granted he realized why he did what he did, and he understood it, it still didn't stop the pain it caused. That coupled with the complete rejection of his confession to his love for Ziva, and the fire and hate she felt towards him, life lost all meaning.

If Tony were to be completely honest with himself, the only thing keeping him from grabbing Liat's Jericho and putting a bullet in his brain right now was the simple curiosity of what Eli would want to do with Tony. Tony could care less if Eli threw him into a dark cell and had him tortured to death, because there was absolutely no physical pain Tony could possibly feel to take his mind off the emotional pain scars left on him, nothing to supersede them.

The SUV pulled into Mossad Headquarters, a large building with a massive parking lot and the exterior made of black bulletproof glass that was impossible to see through. They parked into the subbasement, where immediately five bodyguards came out of various elevators to ensure the safety of the Director. Tony quietly slipped out of the car and followed Eli into a metal elevator.

Liat pressed her hand against the bio-metric plate and pressed one of the buttons on the elevator to send them up to the top floor. An awkward silence fell upon them as Tony stared blankly at the doors, becoming robotic in his movements and actions, no emotions except emotional agony and depression etching his face. A loud thunk came from the elevator shaft, and a second later the elevator doors opened to a bright hallway that lead to Eli's office. Tony followed Eli down the hallway and into his office, Malachi and Liat taking positions opposite each other, outside the door.

Eli took a seat behind his desk and took out a pair of glasses. He took out a file from his desk and began reading it. Tony sat in a chair opposite him, staring at his hands as he waited Eli to finish reading. After several minutes, he shut it closed and looked at Tony.

"As of now, you are an NCIS liasion to Mossad. Anything I say or tell you to do will be strictly followed, no questions asked. Do you understand?" Eli asked coldly, the cold and ruthless predator he truly is finally coming out of it's cave. Tony nodded solemnly.

"Good. Malachi will have a bag of clothes and supplies you will need for your mission." Eli stated, standing up. Tony gave him a questioning look.

"You were correct, Officer Rivkin was under my orders, orders to find the location of a terrorist camp in Somalia. Your Director was able to pull files from Abin Tabal's computer and give me the flash drive, so now what must be done next is to send a small team out to Somalia to find and eliminate Saleem Ulman, the leader of the camp. He is responsible for many Israeli Citizen's death, and he must die. Originally I was going to send Officer Rivkin, but since you killed him, I'm sending you out with Malachi and Liat to take Rivkin's place. Be ready in an hour." Eli said, the opened the door for Tony.

Tony nodded slowly as he stood up and limped out of the office, escorted by Liat to where he would be getting ready. Liat took one good look at Tony and immediately felt bad for him. In Mossad, you were taught and trained to not display emotions, to become an emotionless and ruthless killer that would serve Mossad and Israel to the death. But never in her own life had she seen a man so broken, so depressed. It truly pained her heart, and she made a note to talk to him once they were on the Damocles.

The elevator doors opened to another floor, and Malachi stood waiting there with three gym bags slung over his shoulder, each filled with cash, ammunition, guns, knives, fake ID's and credentials, and an extra pair of clothes. Malachi handed a bag to Tony, and he simply took it and stepped out of the elevator with Liat. They escorted Tony to a mission briefing room, where Officer Amit Hadar would give him a full briefing on the mission.

Malachi and Liat both left Tony in the mission room and went back to the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Malachi and Liat turned to each other at the same time, both sharing the same thoughts.

"He's a broken man." Liat said sadly. Malachi nodded solemnly as he remembered the way Tony moved, acted, and even how his eyes held nothing but emptiness.

"His heart was broken by Ziva, and he was abandoned by his surrogate father in the form of Agent Gibbs. I honestly cannot say I am surprised." Malachi replied, letting out a shaky breath as he slit to the elevator floor. Liat joined him and waited a minute before something hit her.

"Wait, how do you know Agent DiNozzo's relationship with NCIS?" Liat asked, amused that Malachi had such an in-depth knowledge.

"I read his newest psych profile Director David had written after Michael died." Malachi replied honestly.

"And what do you mean by his heart being broken by Ziva?" Liat asked skeptically. Malachi sighed, the simple cloud of sadness that followed Tony getting to him.

"Director David gave me orders to follow Ziva and listen to any conversation she had with anyone. She confronted Agent DiNozzo and had a big argument. DiNozzo told Ziva that he loved her, and that was the reasoning behind risking his career. Ziva rejected him rather coldly." Malachi explained. Liat felt a lone tear slip from her eyes as she rested her head against his shoulder. Malachi noticed this and turned her head to face him. Malachi wiped the tear away with his thumb and pressed a light kiss to her lips. Liat smiled slightly as she rested her head on his chest.

"Ahuvi, sometimes this job can really be straining on my emotions. I know I do not know him, but he seemed so depressed. I feel bad for him. He should not be going on this mission." Liat sighed.

"I know, Liat. Sometimes this job can be straining on my own emotions, but it is simply the price we pay to serve and protect Israel. Still, I agree with you and feel the same way, DiNozzo should not be on this mission for several reasons." Malachi responded.

"We have to protect him, make sure he survives this, and keep him from falling off the edge. He's in a deep depression, and I can only fear that soon enough he will get himself killed or take his own life. I saw him eyeing my Jericho, and I can only guess he was considering suicide." Liat said sadly. Malachi kissed the side of his girlfriend's head and held Liat in a comforting hug.

"We will, together. NCIS may have betrayed him, but I refuse to let him fall through the cracks. We will raise him as one of our own, from the ground up if we must. Protect him, treat him like family." Malachi said confidently. Liat gave a large smile as she kissed Malachi's chest.

"I agree." Liat said, allowing herself to rest against the comforting arms of Malachi for a few more minutes before going to retrieve Tony from the mission room and heading to the Damocles.

NCIS

Ziva awoke on Gibbs's couch, a soft blanket draped over her as the fireplace warmed the living room. Ziva rubbed her eyes as she looked around, noticing Gibbs watching her with sad eyes.

"Finally awake." Gibbs commented, bringing a small smile to Ziva's face.

"Why am I in your house? I thought I fell asleep on the transport?" Ziva asked, confused as to how she got from a seat in a military transport to Gibbs living room couch, and judging by the darkness outside, it was nighttime. Gibbs smiled sadly as he sipped from a cup of coffee.

"You were so exhausted when we got back, I literally had to carry you into my car and I drove you back here. You know, just to make sure you got some rest." Gibbs replied, a lone tear falling down his face. Ziva furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she noticed the tear falling to the carpet. This had been the first time she had seen Gibbs...well...cry.

"Are you okay, Gibbs?" Ziva asked, concern etched into her face. Gibbs failed to notice her presence as he saw all the memories he ever had with Tony run through his mind, all the cases, through the hard times, through thick and thin. And it pained Gibbs even more when those memories ended with the bitter memory of Vance telling him that Tony would be assigned as NCIS liasion to Mossad, and the broken look on Tony's face he saw before the transport doors closed.

Guilt swam through his mind as he felt his chest knot even tighter, and he felt like a true bastard for betraying Tony like that. Not to mention the fact that Tony would be in constant danger in Mossad, as he must have made enemies there, Eli David sitting at the top of the list. Gibbs betrayed Tony, he betrayed him and threw him to the wolves.

"Gibbs, what is wrong?" Ziva asked, now becoming worried. Gibbs exhaled a shaky breath as he looked Ziva in the eye.

"Tony's been reassigned as NCIS liaison to Mossad. He's in Tel Aviv right now." Gibbs said shakily. Ziva stared at disbelief at Gibbs, her breath being stolen from her body.

"No...no you-you are joking, yes?" Ziva asked, unable to accept the fact that she truly drove Tony away from DC, and that he could be truly gone from her life. Gibbs shook his head solemnly, and Ziva felt as if she had been kicked in the gut, her hands suddenly becoming very shaky.

"No...no...how...but..." Ziva said, unable to form words, tears getting caught in her throat.

"Since you couldn't work with Tony any longer, he had to be reassigned out of DC. NCIS liaison to Mossad was the only available position." Gibbs replied. It took Ziva a moment to understand what he meant when he said that she couldn't work with Tony anymore. _No, no, no! I did not meant that! I was confused, angry with Tony! Why could I not keep my stupid mouth shut!? I love him! I have to fix this!_

"But he has enemies in Mossad, my father included! He's going to get killed! No, there has to be a solution! We can bring him back, right? He's still NCIS!" Ziva screamed, already standing up to go to NCIS as tears welled in her eyes.

"Ziva, why do you want him back anyways!" Gibbs shouted in frustration, the guilt overwhelming him. Ziva panic'd, and in the spur of the moment, she let the truth come out.

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!" Ziva screamed at Gibbs, tears flowing down her face. Gibbs was stunned into silence, his mouth agape at the confession. _Jesus Christ..._

"Then...why did you tell me...that you couldn't work with him..." Gibbs asked, having a hard time forming words.

"Because I was angry at him! I wasn't thinking clearly, but now I am! We have to get him back, Gibbs!" Ziva shouted, desperate to bring Tony back to NCIS and into her waiting arms. Gibbs exhaled as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Get in the car, Ziver. We'll go talk to Vance and settle this." Gibbs said as he took his coat from he couch and slipped it on, Ziva already at the door. Gibbs put his hand to Ziva's chin, looking her in the eyes.

"It'll be alright." Gibbs assured her, though if he were to be honest, he was trying to assure himself more than Ziva. Ziva nodded as she wiped another tear from her eyes. They got into Gibbs's Charger and sped off to NCIS.

When they got off the elevators, they both ran up the steps to the upper level and burst into Vance's office, where he had his hands in his head.

"Director, we have to get Tony back!" Ziva shouted at Vance. Vance shook his head sadly, keeping his head in his hands. Gibbs angrily approached Vance, but he held up a hand and slowly stood up. They were both surprised to see that he had been crying recently, his eyes red and swollen.

"It's too late. Director David has already sent DiNozzo on the mission Officer Rivkin was supposed to have. He's not coming back until the mission is over." Vance said sadly. Gibbs punched the wall in anger and frustration while Ziva began to sob, taking a seat in the chair as she curled into a tight ball. Gibbs and Vance exchanged confused looks, but before they could ask her, she answered for them.

"The terrorist camp mission is a suicide mission! He's going to get himself killed!" Ziva screamed before breaking into another round of sobs. Gibbs shakily sat down on the chair, unable to even breathe. Vance stared blankly at Ziva, the horror of it all too shocking to comprehend immediately. They all had the same thoughts as they mourned the danger Tony was in.

_What have I done?_

NCIS

Tony sat on his new bed on the Damocles in silence as he stared at a photo in his hands, the photo he carried with him no matter where he was, what he was doing. In the photo was the whole NCIS family: Gibbs, Ziva, Tony, McGee, Abby, Ducky, Jimmy, hell even Vance. They were all smiling as they stood in the bullpen together, taking celebration pictures for being the top MCRT in the entire NCIS system with a closure rate of 98%. Gibbs was standing off to the far-left side, hiding a smile as he sipped on a coffee. To the immediate right of Gibbs was Abby, who was hugging McGee tightly. McGee had a goofy smile on his face as he had his arms wrapped Abby, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Ducky and Jimmy stood side-by-side in their Autopsy scrubs, smiling as Ducky told Jimmy a story about the time he did an autopsy on a man who had a live bomb inside his stomach. Vance was smirking as he had his arms crossed in front of his chest, keeping a sense of authority and power, but all the same having a good time. Ziva was smiling as she rested her head on Tony's shoulder. Tony was wearing a big grin as he had his arm wrapped around her, securing her tightly to him.

Tony had tears trickling down his face as he realized that he might not ever see them again. He wouldn't be able to have his typical Thursday night steak dinners with Gibbs anymore, a man he considered a father to him. He wouldn't be able tease and play pranks on McGee, his probie that he treated like the sibling he never had as a child. No more bear-hugs with Abby, the woman he treated like a sister. No more wise advice from Ducky, a man he adopted as his grandfather. No more playfully assuming authority over Jimmy, a man that had grown to become one of his strongest friends during the time he led the team and Gibbs was in Mexico. But most of all, no more Ziva, his partner of 3 years, his best friend, the love of his life, the woman who had stolen his heart, the woman he would give his own life for in a heartbeat.

The door to his room creaked open, then shut a few seconds after. Looking up to see who his visitor was, he was surprised to see Liat standing by the door, a nervous smile on her face.

"Hello, since we are on the same team on this mission, I think it is only proper that we properly introduce ourselves to each other, no?" Liat asked, giving a friendly smile. Tony forced a weak smile, nodding his head slowly.

"My name is Officer Liat Tuvia." Liat said, extending her hand to Tony. Tony shook it weakly, looking her in the eyes.

"Tony." Tony replied bleakly before returning his attention to the photo. Seeing no other way to make conversation, she sat next to Tony and looked at the photo. _This must be the 'family' he has developed at NCIS..._

"Are those people part of your team at NCIS?" Liat asked, pointing at the photo.

"Everyone." Tony said, a lone tear dripping onto the spot where Ziva was. Liat felt her heart strings being pulled at as she look at Tony in pity.

"Are you ok, Tony?" Liat asked, already knowing the answer. Tony didn't respond as he lost himself in the photo again.

"If you ever need cheering up, or just someone to talk to, just come find me." Liat said sweetly, ruffling Tony's hair playfully. Tony gave a small but sincere smile before returning his gaze back to the photo. Liat was about to stand up and leave when the door opened and Malachi rushed in, panic clear in his eyes.

"A marine on board the ship was caught snooping around, and started a firefight with the crew. They think we're with the marine!" Malachi shouted, tossing a Jericho to Tony, which he caught easily as he pocketed the photo. Liat brought out her own Jericho and nodded, and the three of them left the room, creating a tight formation as they searched the ship, looking out for any crew member on the ship.


	3. Bullwhip

**Sorry for taking a bit to update, had to visit my Mom in the hospital! She was in a car crash and it was pretty serious, so I didn't really leave the hospital at all until last night! Anyways, doctors say she's gonna be fine, which is a BIG relief :)**

**Please Favorite and REVIEW! Your reviews really encourage me to update this sooner, and I love to hear your feedback! **

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Gunfire resounded through the ship as Tony, Malachi, and Liat scoured the ship. Since Tony still had a cast on, he watched their backs as Malachi and Liat took point. A man wielding a large knife came barreling towards them, only to be quickly disposed of with a bullet to the head from Liat. Multiple shouts were ordered, directing the rest of the crew as to the location of the gunfire.

"Stay alert. Be prepared for anything." Malachi said as he ruthlessly stabbed a man in the eye from around a corner. Two men wielding UZI's came from behind, but Tony was able to kill both of them with three shots from his Jericho. They continued to search the ship for any and all crew-members, and after about ten minutes, they cleared the entire ship but the control room.

The three of them had gathered outside the door, listening intently for any signs of human life. They waited for a few minutes before a slight click was heard inside, and Malachi kicked the door open, his Jericho out and aiming at the ship's captain.

"Shoot and we all die!" The captain shouted, holding up a remote trigger. "I have this entire ship rigged to blow! Do you see this?" The captain asked, holding up the trigger.

"Yeah, it's a Dead Man's Switch." Tony commented, not really amused by the impending threat.

"That's right! You shoot me, this ship goes down!" The captain shouted, his hands shaking, his eyes wide. Malachi and Liat glanced at each other with fear in their eyes, something which did not go unnoticed. _I may have found my peace with dying already, but Malachi and Liat have not. They don't deserve to die because of my suicidal tendencies._

"Don't you dare activate that detonator!" Tony snarled, taking a small step closer to the captain. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony noticed a slight movement behind a wooden crate. Before he had time to react, one of the remaining crewmen popped out from where he was hiding behind the box and began firing his pistol madly, trying to spray them all down. Bullets whizzed by Tony's ears as he unloaded three rounds into the man's chest. Tony's eyes were wide as he saw the captain on the ground, a bullet lodged neatly into his forehead. Half a second later, a large explosion resonated throughout the entire ship, the floor vibrating with enough force to be comparable to the Richter Scale.

Tony turned around, his eyes wide with panic as he saw both Malachi and Liat groaning in pain, Malachi clutching his right side and Liat desperately wrapping a tourniquet over a gunshot wound in her shoulder.

"Come on! We have to get the fuck off this ship! Get to the life rafts!" Tony shouted, ignoring the extreme pain in his clavicle as he wrapped Liat's good arm around his shoulder to support her while Malachi limped along with them. They quickly made their way through the ship in search of the life rafts, all the while stumbling into the walls several times as the ship rocked, quickly sinking into the water. If they didn't get off the ship in 5 minutes maximum, they would drown, trapped in the cold and metal confines of the Damocles.

"You had to shoot the captain!" Tony growled as Malachi crashed into him, nearly causing him to fall down a set of metal stairs.

"I didn't shoot him! The ricochet from that crewman's weapon killed him!" Malachi shouted, groaning in agony as the pain in his side stepped up a few notches. Liat swore multiple times in Hebrew as she tripped and sent both her and Tony crashing to the ground. Tony grumbled as he hoisted Liat back up quickly and willed his body to go on, the bay to the life rafts in sight.

As they stumbled through the doors, they were surprised to see not life rafts, but a lone speedboat with a first aid kit resting against a wall. Together, they pushed the speedboat into the water, where it was pointed at a large hole the explosion had made, allowing them to go straight through it and back out into the ocean. They all stumbled onto the speedboat, Tony quickly taking the controls as he floored the gas, and they swiftly sped out into the free ocean, where behind them, a much larger explosion blew, and the ship quickly sunk into the water.

Once they had gotten a safe distance away from the ship, Tony stepped away from the controls to check on Malachi and Liat, who were both tending to their own wounds. The good part was that both of their gunshot wounds were a through-and-through, so no surgery was immediately required. Tony knelt down between the two, assisting them both as he helped wrap a large bandage over their wounds, stemming the blood flow as both Malachi and Liat popped antibiotics into their mouths, trying to prevent an infection.

"That...was...way...too...fucking...close." Malachi said between deep breaths. Liat chuckled slightly at the understatement but chose not to comment on it as another wave of pain rolled through her shoulder, and she groaned in agony. Malachi and Tony both looked at her in concern as Malachi scooted over to her.

"Ahuvi, are you alright?" Malachi asked, pressing a kiss to her cheek as she leaned closer into Malachi.

"What do you think?" Liat asked, sarcasm dripping with every word as she grimaced from the pain. Tony looked at the couple, dumbstruck of the new revelation that they were dating, but still feeling the need to ask.

"Hold on, you two are a couple?" Tony asked. Malachi and Liat both cocked their heads to the side, confused as to what that could mean. _Oh right, they aren't 100% familiar with the English language, much like Ziva is. God, I need to get her out of my head. My love for her hasn't died down, but it's completely futile, she never has felt the same way. Never has, doesn't now, and never will. All I'm doing is torturing myself thinking about her, but I can't help it. _

"Are you two dating? You know, in a relationship?" Tony asked. Both Malachi and Liat looked away from Tony sheepishly as they both made eye contact, a slight blush creeping to their cheeks. Tony couldn't help but feel the twinge of jealousy in his chest as he watched them. Because even though the three of them found themselves in the same ugly predicament, at least Malachi and Liat had each other, that they had something to live for. And what did Tony have to keep him going? Protecting Malachi and Liat, and not letting them be torn away from each other. _Just because my life is over, doesn't mean I can stand by and let Malachi and Liat lose their lives, both physically and emotionally. They're both hurt, they won't be able to make it in Somalia. When we get into port, I'm going to force them to get medical attention from a hospital, and go on this goddamn mission myself. Hopefully, I'll be successful in eliminating Saleem. Who knows, if I get lucky, I might even get killed after I do so, and my emotional pain can finally stop, and I can drift away into nothingness._

"Well I'm happy for the two of you. Hold on to each other, and never let go. Love is not something meant to be taken for granted. Cherish it, and keep it alive in your hearts." Tony said sadly as he returned to the steering wheel, where a map with directions to Somalia had been stored. Tony stepped on the gas and drove towards a port in Somalia, where they could dock.

Malachi and Liat both felt guilt from Tony's words, realizing that he had never been able to live by that very same code. That he didn't get the opportunity to love and cherish Ziva, because she didn't reciprocate the feelings Tony had for her. That instead of love, it was only hate that Ziva felt for Tony. Or so they thought.

A lone tear trickled down Tony's cheek as he continued to drive on towards Somalia. _I guess this is it. I'll never be able to return back to NCIS, never be able to return to those I consider family, despite the fact that I was pretty much banished from the very same family by Gibbs. And though I have a right to be angry with Gibbs and Ziva, I don't. If Ziva can't work with me, than so be it. I would never let her go back to Mossad and into the arms of the devilish and sly Eli David, who no doubt would have thrust her into this very same mission I'm on now. I understand why I was banished, and I would never in a million years want the roles between Ziva and I to be switched. Still, it does pain me that possibly within a few days, I could very well be dead. But alas, I have accepted my fate, and I embrace it. The emotional pain and scars Gibbs and Ziva etched into my heart is too much for me to handle. It would be so much easier to die lonely and depressed than live lonely and depressed. Man, I sound like a real fucking downer right now. And here I thought the only lonely and depressed person I would ever have to deal with is Gibbs._

NCIS

Several hours later, the speedboat pulled into one of the ports in Somalia, the docks bustling with activity as various women waited for their beau's to return, children laughing and giggling as they ran around, vendors located in various spots selling things from simple fruit to toys.

Tony turned around to see both Malachi and Liat groaning as they slowly got to their feet. Tony rushed over and pushed them back into their seats, causing them to both look at him in question.

"You two aren't going on this mission." Tony said, determined to not let them risk their lives. What they had together was worth too much to squander and risk over a suicide mission.

"Yes we are." Liat growled stubbornly as she tried to rise to her feet, but the pain in her shoulder sent her falling straight back into her seat.

"See? You can barely stand up! I'll finish this mission myself, while you two get to a hospital, get medical attention, and get back to Israel as fast as you can." Tony said. Malachi shook his head furiously, anger radiating off of him.

"No! That is suicide! We will come with you, and together we will finish the mission! We will not let you go off and get yourself killed simply because you're feeling depressed that Ziva doesn't love you!" Malachi shouted, trying to make a point but immediately regretting his words as he saw Tony's eyes darken, anger quickly filling them. Liat glared menacingly at Malachi as she punched Malachi in the chest. Hard. Tony took a few deep breaths to maintain his composure before turning back to glare at Malachi.

"You will not go on this mission!" Tony shouted, drawing glares from both Malachi and Liat.

"Or what? You cannot and will not stop us from going with you. We're in this together!" Malachi shouted, unwilling to let Tony get himself killed. _I made a promise to keep Tony safe, to make sure he had a lifeline to cling onto, to make sure he had something to live for. I will not let him do this!_

Tony exhaled as he closed his eyes. _They need medical attention badly, and no matter what I say, their too stubborn to both make sure I don't get myself killed and too stubborn to submit to the failure of a mission. I have to do this.  
_Tony took out two Jericho's from his hips and pistol-whipped both Malachi and Liat, knocking them out cold. Tony grabbed the map from Malachi's pocket that gave the coordinates to the camp and got off the boat. Once he arrived at the dock, he immediately started shouting.

"Oh my God! There's two people on that speedboat that have been shot! They need medical attention!" Tony shouted, drawing the attention of a nearby EMT that just so happened to be within earshot. Within seconds the EMT's got on the speedboat and loaded Malachi and Liat onto gurney's, where they were both rolled into an ambulance and driven to a hospital.

Tony couldn't help but give a small smirk at his plan as he observed the map for a few moments. Once he pretty much understood the basic gist of the map, he went into the parking lot where he found a black Jeep parked. Tony busted the window open and crawled through the opening, careful to avoid any glass as he hot-wired the Jeep and sped out of the parking lot, driving off towards the camp, where he could hopefully kill Saleem.

NCIS

Malachi woke up in a hospital bed with his head throbbing from Tony's pistol whip and his side numb from all the painkillers in his system. Realization hit Malachi quickly as he looked around, noticing Liat fast asleep in a hospital bed next to him.

"Liat!" Malachi shouted, causing her to wake with a start. It took a few moments before Liat realized where she was and who was talking to her, and her eyes grew wide as she too looked around in search of Tony.

"Harah! He went on the mission by himself! He's going to get himself killed!" Liat shouted, already pulling out the IV from her arm, causing the alarm to go off and a doctor strolled in, wearing a slight smile on his face. The doctor quickly shut the door, closed the blinds, and turned off Liat's hospital alarm.

"Do not worry Officer's Malachi Ben-Gidon and Liat Tuvia, you are safe here." The doctor said reassuringly as he patted Liat's shoulder. Malachi and Liat's eyes grew wide with panic. _How does the doctor know our true identities!?_

The doctor sensed their panic, so he quickly explained himself. "I used to be a Mossad Officer, and I remember training with you two before. I work here as a doctor now, and do not worry, I have not revealed your true identities." The doctor said. Malachi and Liat felt the panic lift from their minds, only to be quickly replaced with the fact that Tony had gone on the suicide mission by himself.

"We have to leave immediately!" Malachi shouted, making a move to get up before being sent back to the bed as the pain radiating from his side suddenly made itself known.

"Neither of you are in condition to leave at the moment. The least I can do is five days." The doctor said, drawing glares from both Malachi and Liat.

"Our partner went on a suicide mission by himself! He's going to get himself killed! We have to find him and prevent him from going on the mission!" Liat growled. The doctor stood adamantly, having absolutely no intention to let them leave.

"What are you going to do, you can't even get up from your hospital bed right now! All you're going to do is get yourselves killed! I am sorry, but I cannot allow you to leave. That is final!" The doctor said before leaving the room. Liat growled in frustration as she tried to sit up, but it was true, she couldn't even sit up because the pain emitting from her shoulder was simply too taxing on her body.

"He's going to get himself killed!" Malachi shouted, anger and fear coursing through his veins. They both continued to struggle with the fight to sit up in the hospital bed, and after five minutes, they both passed out in exhaustion. They were not going to be able to stop Tony from going on the mission.

NCIS

Tony sat strapped to a wooden chair in a dusty room, sunlight pouring through the windows and making the room feel like he was in an oven. The door burst open and Saleem strolled in, looking at a photo with an evil smirk as he approached Tony and punched him across the jaw.

"It was a nice attempt on your part. Let yourself being captured so you could get close to me and kill me. Unfortunately, your little plan did not work. Such a shame, NCIS Agent." Saleem snickered. Tony's head shot up in alarm, shocked that Saleem knew he worked for NCIS. Tony looked at the photo in his hands, and Tony realized that he found the photo he carried with him everywhere, and was able to piece together that he worked for NCIS.

"It was quite lucky for us, since we are planning an attack at your headquarters in DC." Saleem said evilly. Panic rose in Tony's stomach as he realized that Saleem was going to make a terrorist attack at NCIS headquarters. Ziva, Gibbs, McGee, all of them would be in grave danger.

"NCIS is responsible for many of my men, and shall thus receive necessary punishment, as shall Mossad." Saleem said, then delivered another punch to Tony's face before grabbing his jaw, forcing Tony to look him in the eye.

"You will tell me everything you know about NCIS." Saleem growled. _I won't tell him a fucking thing. I don't care if he tortures me to death, I'm not telling him a goddamn thing. I would be risking hundreds of lives at NCIS, including Ziva. Especially Ziva. I could never put her life in danger. Telling Saleem anything about NCIS would surely get her killed. No, Saleem isn't getting a goddamn thing out of me, my own life be damned._

"I'm not going to tell you a fucking thing! Terrorist piece of shit!" Tony shouted, earning multiple punches and kicks to his body. One of the guards walked in with a bloody bullwhip and handed it to Saleem before leaving the room, shutting the door. Saleem flicked the whip in the air, earning a deafening crack.

"You will tell me everything, even if you do not know it now." Saleem said evilly before bringing the bullwhip in the air to strike Tony. _This is definitely going to fucking hurt... _Tony screamed out in pain as the bullwhip made contact with his bare chest, followed by several more screams as Saleem went on a frenzy of whipping Tony, the impacts drawing blood and making Tony's skin raw.

"You will tell me!" Saleem shouted as he continued to whip Tony.

"I'm not telling you anythi-!" Tony screamed, but was cut off as the whip slammed into his neck. The whipping continued for 30 straight minutes until Tony passed out from the pain, his entire body covered in blood and battered. Saleem threw the whip to the ground and faced Tony one last time.

"You will tell me everything, no matter how long it takes. This is only the very beginning." Saleem promised before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.


	4. Four Months Later

**4 months later...**

Ziva was a mess, an emotional time bomb that could explode at any moment, and the effects of the detonation was anyone's guess. For the first two months since Tony had gone on the mission, all she could do was worry and wait for an update from her father. Hell, she even called him up in MTAC a month in to check on Tony's status, but Eli hadn't given her a clue as to what had happened to him. So for those first two months, she checked in with all her contacts in and outside Mossad, but they all said that Eli was being tight-lipped about it, and pretty much no one knew the progress of the mission nor Tony's status, and that was something that had her very anxious.

When Ziva went home with Gibbs to stay at his house that night when Vance told her that Tony was being sent on a mission and was already on the Damocles, she was quite literally in tears, which surprised even herself. Her entire life had been filled with pain, death, and loss, and she would have figured that by now she had been hardened to the point of being unbreakable. But she was wrong.

There was only one person that knew how to push her buttons in just the right way, just one person that seemed to always slip into her dreams, just that one person that just had _that_ effect on her. That made her heart leap whenever they made eye contact, that made her skin burn from a mere brush of skin against skin, that could make her knees weak from a simple smile, that 1000 watt smile that melted her heart. And that was Tony.

Ziva had been sobbing into her pillow inside Gibbs's guest bedroom while said man was working on his boat and drinking more bourbon than he had since Shannon and Kelly died. Ziva had realized something an hour into her weeping, and that was that she had never loved Michael at all. He was an obsession and a distraction, much like Jeanne was to Tony, or at least that was what she told herself and everyone else assumed. That Michael was a way to help deal with the stress that she could never bring herself to tell Tony her true feelings for him, and that it took her mind off of the possibility that Tony didn't share the same feelings Ziva had for him.

She had so many regrets after she realized it, she just wanted to scream it at anyone who would listen. That she messed up, that all this was her fault, that she failed Tony. Gibbs had come up later in the night, not sober in the slightest but could tell that Ziva was extremely distressed, and that had seemed to raise his sobriety level by a mile. Gibbs sat down next to Ziva on the bed, and Ziva continued to weep as she clung onto Gibbs's shoulder for dear life, spilling her guts out that it was all her fault, that she failed Tony, that she couldn't live without him.

Gibbs quickly took his place as the rightful father figure in Ziva's life, comforting her that Tony would be alright, that they would bring him back home, back to DC, and amends could be made, that broken bridges could be rebuilt, and when the dust had finally settled, something different, something _more_ could be created between Tony and Ziva. And just those words had seemed to cheer her up ever so slightly, enough to help her get through those first two months. But not enough when the third month came around.

One day, that one day in the third month of Tony's mission, Vance had decided that he had had enough being lied to by Eli and secrets being held from him, so after much manipulation and threats on his part, Eli finally told him that the Damocles had gone down, and that there were no survivors (which was a lie since Malachi and Liat had already returned to Israel and briefed him on the failure of the mission. Eli had sent a Kidon Team to the terrorist camp after much yelling and begging from Malachi and Liat, but at that point it was too late. By the time the Kidon Unit arrived at the camp, there was absolutely nothing to be found, the camp had been relocated. So Eli did what he did best with Vance: Lie and manipulate. Because forcing an NCIS Liaison onto a mission and have him go missing would be very bad for him. With that said, he lied to Vance and told him that Tony had died on the Damocles, because if by some miracle that NCIS would indeed find Tony alive, they would know that he'd been forced onto mission, when everyone thought he volunteered).

Ziva too had decided to take matters into her own hands and work with McGee and Abby to try and track down Tony. That is, until Gibbs walked into the lab grimly and told them that Tony was dead, that he was on the Damocles when it went down in an explosion, and that there were no survivors. Abby immediately began sobbing into McGee's shoulder, while McGee simply lazily wrapped his arm loosely around Abby, tears of his own silently trickling down his cheek. Ziva just ran out of the room, out of the building, got into her Mini, and just drove.

She kept driving for hours until somehow she ended right back at NCIS. Ziva had been sobbing hysterically the entire drive, multiple times seriously considering to end her life right there and drive off a bridge and drown just like Tony had been killed, or drive full speed into a side of a building, where her body and head would be crushed beyond recognition. Because she didn't deserve to be recognizable, because she didn't deserve to have an identity. But she didn't, because a voice in her head, _Tony's_ voice, told her not to, and even though she didn't believe for a second that Tony would actually want her to live on, just hearing his voice inside her head was just too beautiful to give up, because his voice inside her head was one of the last connections she would ever have with him. And that same beautiful connection was telling her not to take her own life. And who was she to deny Tony?

Her legs moved of their own accord and she ended up right back in the bullpen, staring at Tony's desk, the memory of them meeting for the first time still clear in her mind, as if it was only yesterday that she had been staring into those beautiful sea-green eyes of his that glistened with promise, mystery, and lust. Those eyes that could lock her in place for hours at a time, those beautiful orbs that she could lose herself in for days. And now those very same eyes that used to be bright with life were now empty and dull as his body lay somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

She had taken a seat at his desk and stared at all the things on his desk that simply screamed Tony. That silly Mighty-Mouse stapler he had received as a crappy prize for winning some Pool championship back at his days at Baltimore. That cup filled with a random assortment of pens and pencils that lay on its side, its contents spilled messily over his desk. Ziva couldn't stop herself as her body went on auto-pilot and she opened one of his desk drawers that were filled with a bunch of random files and those pictures of herself in a bikini that she had always despised.

But in the second desk drawer, she could see a locked box with a 3-digit lock on it. She carefully picked it up and lay it on the desk as if it were made of fine crystal. She pondered what the combination could be, then it hit her. She adjusted the numbers on the lock to 0-0-7, and the lid popped open. _Typical Tony, 007. James Bond._

Ziva slowly opened the box, and was surprised to see a single photo inside. She delicately picked it up and examined it for a moment before realizing that this was a photo of herself in her NCIS windbreaker, smiling at the camera. Ziva looked at the back of the photo, and even more tears sprang to her eyes as she read what was written on the back: _Ani Ohev Otach, Ziva David. I love you more than life itself, 'till the day I die, now, forever, always._

Ziva broke down again for what must have been the fiftieth time that night as she clutched the photo with trembling hands, her mind going back to that awful day in Tel Aviv, where they had that terrible fight outside of Mossad Headquarters.

_"Why did you really risk your career." Ziva asked, the anger not quite dissipating yet. Tony took on a look of shock, but decided that it would be easier for the both of them if the truth came out._

_"Because I love you." Tony stated. Ziva was stunned as the smallest gleam of hope twinged in her heart. But it was quickly masked by the anger she was feeling. Ziva stood up and kicked Tony in the side, drawing a sharp intake of pain from him._

_"You don't deserve my love." Ziva said through clenched teeth then walked away, leaving a heart-broken and depressed Tony lying on the ground, tears flowing freely onto the concrete._

Ziva felt her chest clench tightly as she sobbed even harder. She still remembered the heart-broken look on his face with those words, and even now that same expression on his face haunted her. _I left him lying on the ground injured as I broke his heart. What is wrong with me? What kind of terrible person am I?_

The next two months after that had gone by in a blur. The funeral service, the burial of a coffin that didn't even hold Tony's body since they hadn't been able to recover it, the nights she would drown herself in bottles of alcohol and cry herself to sleep, the cases at work that had lost absolutely all meaning. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't surprised that her coworkers at NCIS hadn't held bitterness, anger, and hate towards her. Well actually, that was the case for the rest of the Agency in its entirety, but the people she considered family, they didn't hold a grudge against her, because they understood her pain, and they knew what she was going through. But sometimes Ziva wishes they could simply hate her, because honestly she felt that she deserved it in every way, shape, and form.

Often times she would go to a random bar, get drunk, and beat the shit out of any man that would so much as give her a suggestive look, because her heart belonged to only one man, and she had decided that unconditionally when she read Tony's words on the back of the photo he kept in that locked box. That one man was none other than Tony DiNozzo. And even if he was dead and any other woman would force herself to move on, she couldn't. Her heart simply wouldn't allow it, even if that meant that she would never fall in love again, that she would never have a family and raise kids with her wonderful husband. Because that perfect life she always wanted deep down and that wonderful husband she always dreamed about as with Tony, and it couldn't be clearer to her that no other man could even provide a fraction of what Tony had to offer. And so if she died lonely and depressed, that was fine with her, because she deserved it, she deserved to die like that. And who knows, maybe once she died and moved into some kind of life beyond death, amends could be made with Tony, and they could finally have that life together that she always wanted with him, and him only.

She always took Tony's presence in her life for granted, and now she was paying the price for it. Because you never know what you truly have, until its gone, and all you're left with is the flesh on your bones and the dust that settles around you.

In present time, Ziva found herself in a new apartment, sitting beside an open window as nighttime had already settled, and all that could be heard was the occasional car passing by. The entire air around her was completely silent, just how she liked it nowadays. Ziva held the photo she found in Tony's desk as she simply stared at the words on the back of the photo. She didn't know why ow how, but soon she found herself with a random pen, writing a response to Tony's words. _Ani Ohev Otach, Tony DiNozzo. I love you more than __life itself, and m____y heart belongs to you and no other. U_ntil the day I die, now, forever, always.

NCIS

Tony had been beaten, whipped, burned, cut, stabbed, starved, dehydrated, and drugged for four months straight, staying true to his word that he wouldn't tell Saleem anything. Tony lay limp and tied to the ceiling by his wrists as Saleem walked out of Tony's torture room, having just finished with Tony's latest beating. Saleem had been growing increasingly angry lately, seeing as how his newly developed truth serum had done nothing to Tony except make him a little dizzy. Turns out emotional pain and distress tends to dull and weaken the effects of the serum. Convenient, since Tony had a lot of that, and more than any man should even be able to carry.

But Tony's body was growing weaker by the day, and soon Tony would simply die, his body unable to meet the demands his body required. Tony had already made peace with death, and embraced it. Because the sooner he died, the sooner Saleem could stop torturing him, and he could die knowing he had protected his NCIS family in DC. Or at least, that's what Tony thought.

Saleem already had enough intel to launch an attack on the NCIS headquarters in DC, since a few days ago they had captured a recently retired NCIS agent from DC and tortured him for information. The man gave up everything about NCIS in a matter of days, and they simply killed him off right then and there. Still, Saleem had a feeling Tony knew something more, something that the other NCIS agent simply did not know.

Suddenly, gunfire broke out and Tony looked around in panic. Shouts were heard outside the door as he heard a truck screech away from the camp. _Saleem's probably in that truck. Damn bastard._

The door burst open and a man and woman dressed in all black with assault rifles slung over their shoulders and baraclava masks that hid their identities ran in. Upon seeing Tony, their eyes grew wide with happiness and excitement as the man pulled out a knife and cut down Tony from the ceiling, catching him in the air.

"Do not worry, Tony. You are safe now, and we're going to bring you home, at Mossad, where you belong." Malachi said, relief clear in his eyes.

"We have come to bring you back, brother." Liat said as she helped support Tony's weight on her shoulders. _Home. Mossad. Brother. Maybe it's time I move on from NCIS and think about starting a new life at Mossad. I already have two people that consider me as family here._ Tony wasn't able to finish his train of thought as utter fatigue overtook him, and he passed out, letting Malachi and Liat drag him into a helicopter where they would fly to the nearest hospital to get Tony immediate medical attention, and from there back to Israel.

* * *

**Reviews maybe? Please? :)**


	5. Log Cabin

**Hey guys and girls, welcome back to chapter 5 of this story! Sorry if you were a bit disappointed that it took me so long to update this, but hey, I'm only human! Also I'm writing this right now when I'm bone-tired, and truthfully I can barely keep my eyes open right now. With that being said, this chapter may not make a whole lot of sense, and its gonna be a bit shorter than I usually make my chapters. But I'll make it up to you guys and girls...somehow! Longer chapter? More exciting? Idk, something like that. **

* * *

**A month later...**

"You should have seen the look on the bastards face, Raul! On his knees, clutching a Jewish Star in his hand! He tells me, 'Please! Kill me, but not my family!' and you wanna know what I say to him? Fuck you, Jewish scum!" Saleem shouted in glee, laughing his ass off. Raul sat across from him, chuckling as he took another sip from his scotch.

"I pull out my AK-47, and I pumped em' all full of bullets! They were all screaming, begging for mercy! You should have been there!" Saleem said, lifting his beer in celebration of another successful terrorist attack on Israel. From out of nowhere, Raul felt something wet hit his face. Raul wiped a smudge of it off of his face and looked to see what the mysterious substance was. Blood.

Suddenly, a guard's dead body fell immediately from the upper floor onto the coffee table and smashing it, the resonation of sniper fire following close behind.

"SNIPER! GET DOWN!" Raul shouted. Both men dropped to the floor of the log cabin, the hired guards bringing up their AK-47's as they shot at the direction of where the sniper fired from. The deafening sound of a TAR-21 echoed through the entire cabin as bullets ripped through the walls of the cabin, some of them clipping the guards. Out of the five guards hired, two were already dead, another with a gunshot wound to the knee, incapacitating him.

The weapon fire from the TAR ceased, causing the cabin to be filled with shouts of panic, and moans of pain. One of the guards stood too close by a window, as the shot from silenced fire put a clean hit straight to the side of his head. Silence.

"Where the hell is he!?" Raul shouted, bringing up his .44 Magnum in anticipation to shoot the unknown attacker. Everyone remained quiet as they tried to listen for any signs as to where the assailant was. After a few seconds, the injury-free guard heard a small click from under the floorboards.

"Hey, he's under the floor!" The guard shouted as a well-placed shot from under the floor hit him straight in the head. Saleem who had been explaining his latest terrorist attack to Raul scrambled to his feet and made for the front door, but before he could take three steps, the assailant put three bullets into Saleem's chest through the window in the door. A few seconds later, the assailant kicked the door open and shot Raul's hand holding the gun, causing him to lose half his hand as the Magnum flew out of his hands and landed right at the assailant's feet.

The assailant approached the last guard, who was moaning in pain, fear evident in his eyes as he was unarmed and unable to move.

"Please, I just work for him! I didn't do anything! You don't have to kill me!" The guard shouted, begging for his life. The assailant ignored him as he raised his silenced Jericho and put a bullet clean through the guard's skull, killing him instantly. Then the assailant turned to face Raul, who was screaming in agony, clutching what remained of his hand as blood poured out.

"You bastard! You shot my hand off! Do you have any idea who I am? I am very high in the Jihad!" Raul screamed.

"Exactly." The assailant stated before shooting Raul in the head three times, blood and brain matter flying everywhere. Pulling out his assault rifle he had slung over his shoulder and re-holstering his Jericho, the assailant walked into the kitchen and knocked the plug off of the gas line with the butt of his TAR-21.

The assailant strolled out of the cabin and back into the woods, as the log cabin behind exploded in a massive ball of fire. The assailant grabbed the silenced M89SR sniper rifle he killed the guard on the upper floor with and placed it in a camouflaged zip-up bag and slung the bag over his shoulder. After walking for a few minutes, he met two other people dressed in all black and wearing baraclava masks, just like him.

"Is Raul and his guards dead?" A familiar Israeli voice asked, coming from the taller and bigger figure of the two.

"Would I be standing here if they weren't, Malachi?" Tony asked, slipping off his baraclava mask. Both Malachi and Liat chuckled as the three of them walked on and further into the woodlands of Virginia.

NCIS

Ziva walked into the bullpen with her backpack slung over shoulder at 9 AM, which by her old standards would have been exceptionally late, but ever since she found out that the Damocles went down and that there were no survivors, nightmares had invaded her dreams nightly, each one worse than the last one. Even good dreams could be bad. In one dream, both Tony and herself were sitting by the beach as their kids were playing in the sand, laughing and sharing a kiss every now and then. When she woke up, she cried nonstop for 3 hours straight, because it was too late to have a life even remotely close to that with Tony.

"Hey, Ziva." McGee said tiredly, rubbing his eyes with his hands. McGee too had taken Tony's death hard, because it felt as if he had just lost his brother. Sure, Tony would always prank and torture McGee for fun, but it was never meant to actually hurt McGee. McGee finally realized that the two of them shared a sibling relationship, and in a way, Tony did such things to McGee to harden McGee, to toughen him up from a probie, and Tony did a good job. And now McGee was the Senior Field Agent of the team, though everyone knew that it was just never the same.

Ziva gave a fake smile in McGee's direction before plopping down into her seat. Ziva glared at Derrick, the newest member on the team, and focused her attention back to her computer screen. The three of them worked in dead silence for fifteen minutes before Derrick spoke up.

"Hey Zee-Vah! What's up?" Derrick asked, throwing a paper ball towards her. Ziva caught the ball midair and chucked it straight at Derrick's eye before refocusing her attention to the screen. No one on the team really liked Derrick for a number of reasons. One, he had taken Tony's desk. Two, he was a notorious playboy much like Tony was, except he always took it too far, going so far as to grab Ziva's ass in a crime scene, only to be thrown to the ground and kicked in the side, then shouted and berated by Gibbs and McGee (Aww, McGee's growing up now!). And three, he was just a douche-bag.

Gibbs strolled into the bullpen with his standard black coffee in hand, going to his desk as he grabbed his badge, Sig Sauer, and phone.

"Grab your gear! Got a dead Marine in Virginia!" Gibbs said, shooting a death glare towards Derrick before storming to the elevator, Ziva, McGee, and Derrick close behind.

NCIS

Gibbs and the team pulled up to a burnt down log cabin in the woodlands of Virginia, Ducky's ME van close behind. The four of them got out of the NCIS van and grabbed the necessary equipment. Local LEO's had already taped off the crime scene, and an officer stood by waiting for them.

"NCIS, we'll take it from here." Gibbs said, holding up his badge for the police officer to see. The officer gave a nod before speaking into his radio, and a few other cops left the crime scene in their cars. A man stood next to the tape, waiting expectantly for someone to interview him.

"Ziva, photos of the crime scene. McGee, interview the guy over there, think he's the guy who called this in. Derrick, bag and tag." Gibbs said. The three of them scurried off as Ducky's ME van pulled up. Ducky and Jimmy both got out of the van, sparing a short hello to Gibbs before entering the burnt down cabin where the bodies were.

"So, Brandon, you said that you heard gunfire, came here, and watched the log cabin explode, at least that's what you said over the phone." McGee stated. Brandon, the man who called about the incident, nodded.

"My brother was a Marine, and I know he was here last night. Just, please, find the people that did this." Brandon said, wiping a tear from his eye. McGee nodded before heading to the crime scene itself.

After about an hour of casing and re-casing the crime scene, they came up with 7 bodies, multiple AK-47's in the cabin, and bullets everywhere. Despite the fact that the cabin had been burned down, they were lucky enough that most of the bodies were fairly intact, and they could easily make identification on them.

"Boss, from what I can tell, the guy with the bullet wound in his knee was Brandon's brother, since he had a Marine tattoo on his arm." McGee told Gibbs, who nodded slightly before waving McGee off. Gibbs always got grumpy whenever they had to investigate the death of a Marine, but even more so when it seems that he was involved in illegal activity. First, five of the men were dressed identically in full black, and some had AK-47's on them. Second, $50,000 dollars in counterfeit bills were stashed in the basement. And three, he was indeed killed by a bullet to the head, and it was very unlikely that anyone would find the need to do so unless he was involved in illegal activities. Derrick was walking in the woods and looking for anything else he could bag as evidence when he came upon a massive pile of shell casings.

"Hey boss! Come here, I think you're gonna want to see this!" Derrick shouted. Both Gibbs and Ziva walked over to Derrick, who was pointing at a pile of shell casings.

"This must have been where the shooter must have taken position initially. I see sniper bullet casings, shooter must have some kind of sniper training. And what looks to be casings from an assault rifle? Whoever this guy was, he was packing some serious firepower." Gibbs stated. Ziva crouched down to the ground and stared at the casings, recognition flickering in her eyes.

"Gibbs, these casings look to be from Israeli weapons. Both of these shell casings resemble casings from a TAR-21 and an M89SR sniper rifle, both of which I have trained with during my time at Mossad. Gibbs, I think this is the work of Mossad." Ziva said in shock. Both Gibbs and Derrick stared at her in disbelief before turning back towards the log cabin. _What the hell is Mossad doing here in Virginia? And who was in that log cabin that was so important to them?_


	6. Shower

_Blood is thicker than water. _A saying with the meaning behind it that states that family allegiance comes before all else. Before religion, before beliefs, before government, family will and must precede and supersede everything. Family is an ionic bond that is stronger than diamonds and more powerful then a nuclear missile. But family does not have to be created through blood. Family does not necessarily mean that you can only be family by being blood-related. A true family is formed through honor, integrity, strength, and weakness. But family is not inseparable.

Families can be broken, shattered, destroyed, or simply scarred through various ways, such as death, greed, lust, jealousy, and betrayal. Gibbs's family formed at NCIS is an example of how families can be scarred. The 'death' of Tony caused a great deal of scarring on the family, almost enough to completely tear it apart. Only by being strong coworkers and being family for years were they able to just barely survive, but the same could not be said for Tony.

Betrayed, abandoned, and tossed away, Tony was thrown to the wolves at Mossad, then sent on a mission to assassinate Saleem in Somalia, which failed miserably, and ended up with him being tortured both mentally and physically for four months, only to be rescued by his new family, or at least, part of his soon-to-be new family.

_It turned out that Eli hadn't actually sent Malachi and Liat on a mission to rescue Tony, but rather, Malachi and Liat rounded up one other Mossad officers and went on a search for Tony themselves. The other Mossad officer's name was Nava Caspi, an Israeli beauty with stunning facial features, raven-black hair that spread down slightly past her shoulders, a drop-dead gorgeous body (heh my girlfriend would probably get mad at me for saying that, but I love her more. Nava's got nothin' on my Olivia :P), and the most sensuous lips Tony had ever seen, or at least, second best._

_When Tony first returned back to Mossad, he was surprised to see the respect he was receiving from the other Mossad officers. Apparently getting tortured by terrorists for Israel instantly made you the most respectable and earned yourself instant gratification, that was, assuming you actually lived. A sea of applause and hollers greeted him as he walked into Mossad headquarters, along with a myriad of surprised stares and shocked expressions. Accompanied by Malachi, Liat, and Nava, the four of them stepped into the elevator that would take them to Eli's office._

_When the door to Eli's office opened, a smiling Eli sat there sipping a cup of tea. Nava closed the door behind her and stood awkwardly next to it, while Tony, Malachi, and Liat each took seats in front of Eli's desk._

_"Tony, welcome back to Israel! I am very glad to hear and see that you are safe and away from that dreadful terrorist camp. Please, have a drink." Eli said, handing Tony a bottle of beer. Tony took the beer greedily from Eli and tipped his head back, drinking half the bottle in one swig. Eli chuckled as he eyed Nava, who was still standing by the door._

_"Officer Caspi, please, have a seat. After all, you were part of the rescue mission of our friend Tony here." Eli said, gesturing towards the seat next to Tony's. Nava shuffled towards the leather chair that resided directly next to Tony's and sat down, her right arm brushing Tony's, causing her to turn a very, very, light shade of pink, something that did not go unnoticed by Eli._

_"I must be honest with you, Tony. When you first came to me, I wanted nothing but for you to die, which was why I sent you on the mission to Somalia in hopes that you would die due to your lack of experience." Eli admitted, drawing an amused look from Tony._

_"Am I sensing a 'however' in this?" Tony inquired, quoting the 'however' part with his fingers. Eli gave a genuine smile as he chuckled slightly. "Yes, there is a 'however' as you Americans say. However, I was wrong, you are not simply trash meant to be thrown away, you are much more valuable to me." Eli stated, drawing confused stares of awe from everyone._

_"May I ask why the sudden change of heart?" Tony asked, not quite believing his ears that a man who wanted him dead just four months ago suddenly thought of him as valuable, whatever that was supposed to mean._

_"You have strong determination, inner strength, and most of all, loyalty. Those are the qualities of any man or woman that I admire and cherish, as these are qualities that are very hard to find these days." Eli explained._

_"What makes you think that I possess any of the qualities you just listed?" Tony asked, curious as to where Eli was coming from. Eli took a long sip from his tea, expecting Tony to figure it out himself. Malachi, Liat, and Nava certainly had, judging from the looks of disbelief they were giving Tony._

_"Tony, you were just rescued from a terrorist camp after being tortured and interrogated for four months. When you got to the hospital, you were mere minutes from death. That alone shows that you have a great amount of inner strength. As for your determination and loyalty, your actions as a cop and federal agent in America speak for themselves, not to mention the fact that you didn't tell Saleem a word about anything. You also decided to go on the mission alone so Officers Gidon and Tuvia would survive. After all, with their injuries, there was virtually no chance they would survive. This speaks great lengths about you, and you too should realize this." Eli said, a flash of guilt washing over Eli as the extent of the damage done to Tony became clear to Eli after saying everything that happened to him over the four months of being a victim of torture. Tony remained silent for several minutes as flashbacks of the torture he received at Somalia ran through his head like a movie._

_"How do you know that I didn't tell Saleem anything?" Tony inquired. Eli chuckled sadly as he took another sip of his tea. "If you had been broken and gave up information to Saleem, you would be dead already. He wouldn't have kept you alive for so long unless he was looking for information." Eli explained, receiving a nod of understanding from Tony, but no emotion. I shouldn't feel bad, but I do, and Tony is the reason why. This is a man that I witnessed go from a playful jokester who hides behind masks but does his job like a professional, to a cold and hardened man with no emotions. I should be excited, and I am, but I can't help but feel bad for Tony._

_"So, Tony, where do you want to go from here? Would you like to stay here with us and learn the ways of Mossad, or would you like me to send you back to NCIS? It truly is up to you, I will not force a decision." Eli said. Everyone shuffled in their seats nervously as they watched Tony stare at Eli in shock. NCIS? Eli's really going to let me go back to NCIS, back home? No, I can't, I won't. I have to keep Ziva's best interests at heart, it's always been about her best interests, and that's not gonna change. I owe her that much. Besides, with Malachi and Liat here with me, maybe I can actually find the good in this, and create a new family, here, at Mossad. Family, a word that has remained unknown and gone to me for so long. I need it, and Mossad offers it._

_"I want to stay here at Mossad. I want to know and learn everything there is you can offer." Tony answered. Everyone smiled brightly as Tony and Eli shook hands, symbolizing the beginning of something new, exciting, and life-changing for all of them, the photograph he used to carry around everywhere long forgotten._

NCIS

"Hey, Nava." Tony greeted as he strolled into the hotel room. Their current mission to kill Raul and Saleem was a success, and as they were about to load onto a plane for exfil, they received an urgent call from Eli telling them to stay in the United States. Apparently Eli received new intel from a Chinese contact that a PLA Special Operations Forces soldier, Xui Li Zhou, had gone rogue after his best friend was killed by another PLA soldier, and he was currently in the United States as a hired assassin. Since Eli owed the PLA a favor, he had Tony, Malachi, Liat, and Nava track down Xui Li based off intel from the Chinese contact that Xui Li was currently living in Washington DC. Malachi had purchased two hotel rooms adjacent to each other with a door connecting them so they could easily communicate. Tony and Nava were assigned one room, Malachi and Liat another room.

"Shalom, Tony." Nava replied nonchalantly. In the month that Tony had been with Mossad, he had become quite popular among the officers, and especially popular with the female officers. Mossad had healed some of the scars left by Somalia, being heart-broken, and being betrayed, to the point that Tony felt comfortable enough to be happy and have sexual feelings towards the other female officers, he even managed to heal enough to crack a joke here and there!

Nava tried not to stare as Tony stripped off his shirt. Through Tony's time in the terrorist camp and training at Mossad, Tony had initially lost a lot of weight, then put most of it back on in rock-hard muscle. Nava's resolve broke and she snuck a peek at Tony's 6-pack, resisting the urge to pounce on him like a tiger and ravage his body.

"Well, after dumpster-diving for an hour and acting like a hobo, I think I'm gonna need a shower." Tony announced before speeding into the bathroom, forgetting to close the door. Nava ignored the sexual and romantic fantasies she was having for Tony as she continued to watch the streets for any signs of Xui Li's presence. That is until 30 minutes later when she realized that Tony was still in the shower.

At first, she considered just yelling at him from her spot at the window, but thought better as she remembered that Tony still had a lot of healing to do, so she decided to take the soft approach. Nava got up from her seat by the window and tip-toed into the bathroom. Once she got in, she knew there was something wrong with Tony as he sat on the bottom of the bath tub while the water from the shower continued to rain over him, the shower curtain wide-open. Tony had his hands covering his face and his body was trembling slightly. _There is no way he can be cold, the water coming from the shower is steaming hot. He must be crying. I have to comfort him._

"Tony? Are you alright?" Nava asked, ignoring the fact that Tony's entire wet nakedness was on full display for her. Tony looked up and locked eyes with Nava, his eyes red and swollen. "Sorry, I'll finish up now and take over your shift." Tony said hurriedly as he stood up abruptly, trying to hide the fact that he had been crying only moments later.

"Tony, what is wrong?" Nava asked more forcefully, stepping into the shower with Tony and turning his shoulders so that he was forced to face her. Tony shifted his gaze to the bottom of the tub, but Nava forced him to look her in the eye by gently holding his chin and lifting it. Tony let out a shaky breath as he stared into Nava's eyes, silently pleading to her to drop the subject. She wouldn't budge.

"DC brings...bad memories for me. Well, not bad memories...but...it hurts to be here." Tony responded, completely oblivious to the fact that Nava was still fully clothed and that she was completely drenched at this point.

"Why?" Nava asked, stroking Tony's cheek in a more comforting way then a sexual hint. Tony hesitated for a moment, but gave Nava an answer, "DC is where I used to work, NCIS. I worked at NCIS for a good 8 years, and over that span of time, I created...a family. Gibbs was like a father to me, McGee was like my little brother, Abby was like my little sister, Ducky was my grandfather, Jimmy was like a cousin, and Ziva..." Tony trailed off, a lump getting stuck in his throat.

"I know what Ziva said to you outside of Mossad headquarters the day you were left in Tel Aviv." Nava said, trying to get Tony to open up. After much convincing, Nava managed to get Malachi to tell her what words were exchanged between Tony and Ziva, and it broke her heart to know that Tony had his heart so ruthlessly broken. Tony stared at Nava in horror, his eyes wide with shock and his mouth agape.

"Was that what you were crying about? Ziva?" Nava asked, moving her hand to gently rest on Tony's chest. Tony nodded hesitantly as tears began to slip from his eyes once more. "I loved her, so much, and I still do. But, it hurts so much to know that she never felt the same way about me, and she never will. She hates me right now, and I doubt she even cares what happens to me. I don't think she would shed a tear if I were to die and she were at my funeral. Hell, I don't even think she even would show up to my funeral." Tony said sadly, resting his forehead against Nava's. The two of them stared deep into each other's eyes, the sexual and romantic tension between them seeking release. Then Nava took a leap of faith. Nava gently placed her lips against Tony's, and Tony immediately responded. Their lips danced the dance of love as clothes from Nava's body gradually began to fall to the bathroom floor, and soon enough, a series of moans from both Tony and Nava followed.


	7. Sniper

Xui Li strolled through the streets of DC, smoking a cigarette and a pair of shades covering his eyes. Spotting a woman sitting at a cafe wearing shades similar to his, he dropped his cigarette and approached the woman, coming up behind her, placing his hands on her arms as he buried his face in her neck.

"I've missed you, Lee Wuan (in case you don't know who Lee Wuan Kai is, or don't remember, watch episode 7 of Season 7, should give you a refresher. And once you do remember, if you don't remember already, keep in mind that this is an AU fiction, and that some aspects regarding Kai might be different)." Xui Li purred, nuzzling Lee Wuan Kai's neck. Xui Li felt Kai smile as she patted his head. "I've missed you too, Xui Li." Kai replied, her heart fluttering in her chest happily. In her early childhood, Kai had been taken in by the North Korean government and was trained, brainwashed, and forced into becoming a top assassin for North Korea, all the while robbing her of her childhood and causing her to lose all sense of humanity.

Cold, ruthless, and fearless, Kai quickly became one of the best assassins in the world, earning the nickname _The Phantom _among the Serbians. However, as she was fleeing China after a successful assassination on an arms dealer, she was caught by mercenaries. As she was staring down the end of the barrel of a pistol, multiple shots rang out, and before she could piece together what was going on, she found herself lying on a bed three hours later, Xui Li sitting by her side. Xui Li had saved her life, and over time the two of them fell in love. Kai regained the sense of humanity that had been taken from her in her childhood, and Xui Li was the reason for that.

"I love you, Xui Li." Kai said sweetly, nothing but love in her eyes. Xui Li smiled brightly as he kissed Kai's forehead. "I love you too, Kai." Xui Li replied.

NCIS

Tony and Nava stared into each other's eyes as their chest's rose and fell steadily, the water pelting them from the shower washing away all the sweat from their bodies. They each wore huge smiles as they both realized that the emotional fortress Tony had built and fortified around his emotions and heart had crumbled to the ground, and what lay in the rubble and what had been hidden by that emotional fortress was a golden heart with the capacity to love and care for others.

"Nava, I think I love you." Tony admitted, his heart pounding with fear in anticipation of her answer. Throughout his life, Tony had become increasingly afraid of revealing his emotions to others, to love others, and with good reason. Starting when his Mother died when he was a child, it was Tony's first experience with loss, and at such an early age, it caused a great deal of scarring. In addition to the neglect from his Father he recieved as a result of his Mother's death, it essentially created a hard metal shell around his heart, penetrable only by very strong emotions. Yes, he did have a list of girlfriend's that probably contained more names in it than the Chinese phonebook, (ehh...probably not, but still, I couldn't resist using that joke. My friend used it on me a week ago and I couldn't stop laughing for like 20 minutes) but the relationships were never serious, just used as a means to satisfy those hormones in his growing teenage body. That is, until he met Wendy, his high-school piano teacher.

He never needed the piano lessons to begin with, as years and years of natural talent and daily lessons from his Mother turned him into what even the modern composers and pianists today would consider a child prodigy, even to the point where he was personally visited by the director of a major play on Broadway (I think play's are on Broadway, but I'm pretty sure is is) and invited to play the piano during one of the major scenes. However, Tony at that time wanted a way toconnect with her Mother again, and piano lessons would be able to do that.

Wendy was the first woman he had truly loved, and during his time at Baltimore as a homocide detective, he proposed to her. On the day they were supposed to be married, Wendy simply up and left, leaving him standing alone at the altar with tears streaming down his face and a once-again broken heart. It was years later at NCIS that he met Kate, and once again fell in love. However, Tony was never able to act on those feelings as just as he started to gain the courage to tell Kate that he loved her, her life was taken by a single bullet, sniper fire from Ari.

Then there was the incident with Paula Cassidy, a woman he had very strong feelings and emotions for, but not love. She died saving his and Gibbs's lives by tackling a suicide bomber behind a trap door, meeting her own demise. This in turn caused him to realize that life is short, and should never be taken for granted. A realization that caused him to steer away from his emotions for Ziva and fall in love with Jeanne, one of the biggest mistakes on his part.

After yet another heartbreak, Tony's heart simply could not allow itself to love again for a while, as it was simply physically impossible for him to do so. But that physical impossibility was lifted once Vance told him that he was being sent away from DC as Agent afloat. The thought of never seeing Ziva again caused him to realize that while he had loved many women in the past, it was Ziva that he loved like no other. Because it was only Ziva that could have every hair on his body on end from a simple touch, it was only Ziva that could make his heart beat faster with simple eye contact. Because Ziva was his soulmate. But not every love story has a happy ending. Tony had his heart torn apart to shreds as each word left Ziva's mouth during that day outside Tel Aviv, and Tony thought that his heart simply lost the ability to love again, that is, in a romantic way.

And now here he stood naked in the shower with Nava after an intense session of lovemaking, having admitted to Nava that he loved her, and the truthfully did with his heart. Yes, he still loved Ziva, but the scars she left on his heart was too much to bear. Nava wasn't a replacement of Ziva, it was just that his heart made more space for Nava to be there.

Tony studied Nava's reaction carefully, and panic rose inside of him as he took in the look of shock on her beautiful face. But that panic quickly subsided as shock was replaced by a brilliant smile that melted his insides, and her lips were on his, the kiss slowing time for the both of them. It was a soft and tender kiss that didn't satisfy lust, but created love. When they pulled apart, love was evident in both of their eyes, a smile playing on both of their lips.

"I love you too, Tony." Nava replied. It was at that moment that all the hot water was gone, and the shower was freezing. Nava yelped as the freezing water made contact with her body, and Tony couldn't help but laugh as he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, taking Nava's hand in his and helping her out. Nava raised her arms above her head as Tony dried her off with a towel before Nava did the same with Tony, stealing a couple kisses in between. Once Tony and Nava were both dried off, they walked back into the hotel room and changed into fresh clothes. Tony checked his watch and noticed that an entire hour had passed since he got back to the room. Uh oh.

"Hey Nava, let's check with Malachi and Liat and see what they're up to." Tony said, already opening the door to their room. Malachi and Liat were just finishing packing up their weapons into their packs. Talk about perfect timing.

"Tony, we just spotted Xui Li at a cafe. Get your stuff together and let's go." Malachi said, slinging his pack over his shoulder. Both Tony and Nava nodded before heading into their room, grabbing their equipment, and following Malachi and Liat out of the hotel.

NCIS

"Malachi, do you seriously expect me to take a 2200-yard cold bore shot (message me if you got that movie reference, just wondering) when he's sitting in a cafe full of people?" Tony asked, staring at a pale Malachi. Tony sighed as he looked at Liat and Nava, who were also pale.

"Tony, there are many reasons why we are taking this shot from a mile and a half away. One, Eli said that under no circumstances are we to reveal ourselves as the assassins. Doing something like this could be considered an act of war. Also, there is the problem with the fact that Xui Li is in conversation with Lee Wuan Kai." Malachi explained, sounding like he caree more about the fact that Xui Li was in the presence of Lee Wuan Kai more than the possibility of war breaking out, something that deeply amused and confused Tony.

"Who is Lee Wuan Kai?" Tony asked. All three of them just stared at Tony, disbelief written all over their faces.

"Tony, did you seriously just ask that? You are joking, yes?" Malachi asked. Tony shook is head, causing everyone to go wide-eyed. "Tony, Lee Wuan Kai is a legend. She is a North-Korean assassin, and she's the absolute best there is, no doubt about it. There is no one on this planet that is more skilled and dangerous than her, I guarantee you that. In fact, I heard that she once assassinated a Siberian politician while he was on a high-speed roller coaster a mile away with a sniper rifle, and she hadn't even seen how fast the ride was going before-hand. We do not want to take the risk that she identifies us. Besides, if we got within range of the gun at the pistol at her side, we would all be dead before we even drew our weapons." Malachi explained. Tony sighed as he looked down the scope of the Barrett M107 .50 caliber sniper rifle, a sniper rifle powerful enough to explode your head into millions of pieces. Tony quicky acquired Xui Li in his sights, who was sitting across from Kai and engaging in what looked like a friendly conversation.

"Remember what I taught you, Tony. At this range, you're gonna have to take wind, air humidity, flight time of the bullet, quality of the bullet, hell even the Coriolis Effect into account. Use the flag on the building in front of us and the flag next to Xui Li as indicators." Malachi said. Tony sighed again as the adjusted the magnification of the scope and repositioned the crosshairs.

"We can't get any closer than this?" Tony asked, not taking his eyes away from the scope.

"This is the only angle we can get without collateral damage, and this is the closest we could get and still have a clear shot, and being a safe distance away from Kai. This is the best shot you can get." Malachi said. Tony moaned his frustration as he made the final adjustments on his scope before looking to acquire Xui Li in his sights once again.

Tony felt a lump in his throat as he watched Xui Li kiss Kai deep and passionately. _That could easily be Nava and I, happy couple being targeted by a sniper. Can I do this to Kai? I can probably guess she was taken as a child and raised as a killer much like Ziva and Nava were. Can I take something else away from Kai? Am I doing the right thing? _

Tony pushed these thoughts away as he flicked the safety off and took aim. His heart was beating violently in his chest and sweat dripping from his forehead. His stomach clenched even tighter as he watched the kiss grow deeper, both of them uttering words he could only assume had something to do with love. The finger he had on the trigger was trembling as he watched the two of them pull away from the kiss. _10 mph wind going left. 2200 yards away, custom-made rounds. .50 caliber bullet, massive power benind the shot, area of ideal impact greatly increased. Low air humidity. Taking the Coriolis effect into account, push 2 left. 5-6 second bullet flight time, adjust accordingly, wait for Xui Li to sit back down. _

Xui Li sat back down in his chair with a big smile on his face, a smile equally reciprocated by Kai. _Do it, Tony. Just another mission, I have to do this for my family, this is for them. I am doing the right thing, just take the damn shot! _Tony took a deep breath and held it, keeping the scope steadier. Tony's eyes grew wide and his pupils dilated, something widely recognized to happen when someone is about to take a shot. Kai looked in his general direction out of coincdence, and a second later, Tony pulled the trigger. 6 seconds later, a flurry of screams of panic resounded through the entire cafe, a dead body hitting the ground.


	8. AN: Leaving

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long, but I don't have the time anymore. I just got engaged to my girlfriend, and we just found out that she's pregnant 3**

**Between making arrangements for the marriage, taking care of her, and learning to be a Dad, I simply will not have the time to update anymore. I do hope that one day these stories will be finished, which is why I am offering my account to anyone that will finish my stories. **


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